I’ve gone twice to get the Novavax. In my area, Upstate NY, CVS is the only one carrying it. On the CVS website it says you do not need an appointment to get Novavax yet the first time I showed up I had an appointment as I also wanted the flu and RSV vaccine. Unfortunately, they had no doses of Novavax on site. The second time I showed up, the pharmacy tech told me I had to make an appointment. I told her that the CVS site, and the sign on the door stated that was incorrect. She reiterated that without an appointment I couldn’t get the vaccine. So, I left without the vaccine. The next closest CVS in my area is 35 minutes away. I’m still am planning on getting it, it is just so frustrating that something that should be so easy is not.
I just wonder how many are in the same place I am? I did my research, determined which vaccine might be the best for me and then I couldn’t get it. I am left hoping I can get the vaccine before Covid finds me.
Can you get the vaccine with your primary care provider? Call and find out if they have a shot clinic. My primary care provider does. I can also go to any CVS like you did. Walgreens, Target, Walmart, and some grocery store pharmacies also offer the vaccines.
Since the CDC “recommended” schedule is really a “commandment” for non-quack” MDs what does severely ” immunocompromised ” effectively mean in practice? It seems unlikely to be interpreted as applying to us seniors who comprise the overwhelming numbers of severely ill and dying from the disease. Why the hell not!! Why are those who are at almost as much - or maybe even as much as - at risk not singled out explicitly for extra doses!! Personally I believe it is a decision based on PR considerations - commonly referred to as “messaging” - which are believed by the CDC to be most likely to persuade more people to get the vaccine. And, perhaps, a lesser secondary fear of being chastised for picking an “arbitrary “ cutoff age defining “seniors”. Callous, cowardly and medically/scientifically unsubstantiated. Will you and others - who I believe know better- please call them out on this. There are millions upon millions more older people than “immunocompromised”. We are being ignored. All 30+ million of us.
Could you comment on California changing Covid isolation guidance, people can leave isolation based on symptoms-- they’re supposed to mask and avoid vulnerable people. It’s getting wide coverage now-- NYT. I understand that isolation poses an economic and social cost, and many people no longer test but I’m finding these guidelines quite concerning. No linking isolation with testing, but testing is expensive.
I haven't looked at them yet but I'll take a look. I do not think there is solid evidence that symptom-based protocols are valid but it might be that in a harm reduction framework, this is all they can do now. (That does not make it good or ideal).
My sister is an MPH in California, and they quietly released them about 3 weeks ago and it's making national news--you can go back to school/work with a positive test as soon as you have no fever
As a school nurse, regardless of the new unbelievable guidelines, I will continue to educate my families and their children the importance of testing, isolating and masking. I will also remind them that the current new covid-19 guidelines are seriously not valid with an explanation.
Michael Osterholm commented on his recent podcast that the guidelines came from a focus group of schools. You are a hero! The "science" appears to be that everyone is "over it", so maybe this way they'll test.
It’s always been a battle with administrators because all they care about are students being present regardless if they are sick because they want the monies they receive for each kid that is present in school. For the administrators who are also highly educated, one would think they’d have a little more common sense regarding covid-19, but they don’t. Ugh
Oh I can only imagine! The schools where administrators make all the decisions because they are all doctors (not)! It still boggles my mind how my own district refused to listen to their school nurses, who are all registered nurses, with a school nurse credential, that is all graduate level education, including school nurses who also have their MSN, PNP or FNP. Half of the entire district population could pass from covid-19 and the administrators still refuse to listen to their school nurses! So many stories we all have!
Are they even requiring testing anymore if a child has URI symptoms? If your kid has to isolate for 10 days because they actually tested, when everyone else is just able to return to school when they're no longer febrile or too snotty, you're being penalized for testing.
I’ve gone twice to get the Novavax. In my area, Upstate NY, CVS is the only one carrying it. On the CVS website it says you do not need an appointment to get Novavax yet the first time I showed up I had an appointment as I also wanted the flu and RSV vaccine. Unfortunately, they had no doses of Novavax on site. The second time I showed up, the pharmacy tech told me I had to make an appointment. I told her that the CVS site, and the sign on the door stated that was incorrect. She reiterated that without an appointment I couldn’t get the vaccine. So, I left without the vaccine. The next closest CVS in my area is 35 minutes away. I’m still am planning on getting it, it is just so frustrating that something that should be so easy is not.
Sorry to hear that. Here's a dark irony: it sounds like its easier to get a gun than a shot!
I just wonder how many are in the same place I am? I did my research, determined which vaccine might be the best for me and then I couldn’t get it. I am left hoping I can get the vaccine before Covid finds me.
Can you get the vaccine with your primary care provider? Call and find out if they have a shot clinic. My primary care provider does. I can also go to any CVS like you did. Walgreens, Target, Walmart, and some grocery store pharmacies also offer the vaccines.
Since the CDC “recommended” schedule is really a “commandment” for non-quack” MDs what does severely ” immunocompromised ” effectively mean in practice? It seems unlikely to be interpreted as applying to us seniors who comprise the overwhelming numbers of severely ill and dying from the disease. Why the hell not!! Why are those who are at almost as much - or maybe even as much as - at risk not singled out explicitly for extra doses!! Personally I believe it is a decision based on PR considerations - commonly referred to as “messaging” - which are believed by the CDC to be most likely to persuade more people to get the vaccine. And, perhaps, a lesser secondary fear of being chastised for picking an “arbitrary “ cutoff age defining “seniors”. Callous, cowardly and medically/scientifically unsubstantiated. Will you and others - who I believe know better- please call them out on this. There are millions upon millions more older people than “immunocompromised”. We are being ignored. All 30+ million of us.
I wonder whether the most important variable is actually education, which is obviously highly correlated with but independent from income.
Very well could be. It would take multivariable regression analysis to get closer to the answer.
May I ask your thoughts on California’s new relaxed Covid isolation rules?
I haven't looked at them yet but I'll take a look.
Could you comment on California changing Covid isolation guidance, people can leave isolation based on symptoms-- they’re supposed to mask and avoid vulnerable people. It’s getting wide coverage now-- NYT. I understand that isolation poses an economic and social cost, and many people no longer test but I’m finding these guidelines quite concerning. No linking isolation with testing, but testing is expensive.
I haven't looked at them yet but I'll take a look. I do not think there is solid evidence that symptom-based protocols are valid but it might be that in a harm reduction framework, this is all they can do now. (That does not make it good or ideal).
My sister is an MPH in California, and they quietly released them about 3 weeks ago and it's making national news--you can go back to school/work with a positive test as soon as you have no fever
Some districts are still testing when a child enters the health office and not feeling well.
As a school nurse, regardless of the new unbelievable guidelines, I will continue to educate my families and their children the importance of testing, isolating and masking. I will also remind them that the current new covid-19 guidelines are seriously not valid with an explanation.
Michael Osterholm commented on his recent podcast that the guidelines came from a focus group of schools. You are a hero! The "science" appears to be that everyone is "over it", so maybe this way they'll test.
It’s always been a battle with administrators because all they care about are students being present regardless if they are sick because they want the monies they receive for each kid that is present in school. For the administrators who are also highly educated, one would think they’d have a little more common sense regarding covid-19, but they don’t. Ugh
Oh I can only imagine! The schools where administrators make all the decisions because they are all doctors (not)! It still boggles my mind how my own district refused to listen to their school nurses, who are all registered nurses, with a school nurse credential, that is all graduate level education, including school nurses who also have their MSN, PNP or FNP. Half of the entire district population could pass from covid-19 and the administrators still refuse to listen to their school nurses! So many stories we all have!
Are they even requiring testing anymore if a child has URI symptoms? If your kid has to isolate for 10 days because they actually tested, when everyone else is just able to return to school when they're no longer febrile or too snotty, you're being penalized for testing.
Here's the link: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-19-Isolation-Guidance.aspx
Thank you. I just got asked by some media outlet to look as well. So I did some looking into this! I'll see if I can put a post together on this...
Don’t even get me started. Ugh
Minor point. Income and wealth are interchanged in the text. They are very different. Income is the relevant measure in this article.
That's a good flag. I'll make that distinction more consistently in the future. thx!